Communication apparatus, method for controlling communication apparatus, and program

Abstract

A communication apparatus notifies a partner terminal of delayed acknowledgement (ACK) information, and the partner terminal determines a retransmission time out (RTO) minimum value based on the delayed ACK information. The communication apparatus notifies the partner terminal of the delayed ACK information using a transmission control protocol (TCP) header option at the time of a TCP connection, or using an application. Alternatively, the communication apparatus provides the delayed ACK information for an ACK packet when transmitting a delayed ACK. The partner terminal determines the RTO minimum value in such a manner that the RTO minimum value does not fall below an acquired delayed ACK timer value.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication apparatus comprising:
 a reception unit configured to receive a packet from another communication apparatus; 
 a transmission unit configured to transmit, after a predetermined time period has elapsed without another packet having been received from the other communication apparatus since the reception unit receives the packet, a response to the packet received by the reception unit to the other communication apparatus; and 
 a notification unit configured to notify the other communication apparatus of information of the predetermined time period, 
 wherein the transmission unit transmits the reply to the other communication apparatus before the predetermined time period has elapsed if a predetermined number of packets are received by the reception unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit transmits an ACK packet as the reply to the packet received by the reception unit. 
     
     
       3. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period is a delayed acknowledgement (ACK) timer time defined by transmission control protocol (TCP). 
     
     
       4. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the information of the predetermined time period is included in a request signal for establishing a connection between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus. 
     
     
       5. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the information of the predetermined time period is included in application data. 
     
     
       6. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the information of the predetermined time period is included in the reply to the packet received by the reception unit. 
     
     
       7. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies the other communication apparatus of the predetermined time period according to a predetermined condition. 
     
     
       8. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies the other communication apparatus of the predetermined time period according to a type of data to be communicated to the other apparatus. 
     
     
       9. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies the other communication apparatus of the predetermined time period according to a type of a protocol to be used in communication with the other communication apparatus. 
     
     
       10. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies the other communication apparatus of the predetermined time period based on an instruction by a user. 
     
     
       11. A communication apparatus configured to communicate with another communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:
 a transmission unit configured to transmit a packet to the other communication apparatus; 
 an acquisition unit configured to acquire time period information from reception of the packet, by the other communication apparatus, transmitted from the transmission unit until transmission of a reply to the packet by the other communication apparatus; and 
 a determination unit configured to perform determination processing regarding a time period until retransmission of the packet by the transmission unit based on the time period information acquired by the acquisition unit, 
 wherein the other communication apparatus transmits, after a time period indicated by the time period information has elapsed without another packet having been received from the communication apparatus since reception of the packet from the communication apparatus, a response to the packet received from the communication apparatus. 
 
     
     
       12. The communication apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the time period information is a delayed acknowledgement (ACK) timer time defined by transmission control protocol (TCP). 
     
     
       13. The communication apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the determination unit determines a value to be used as a minimum value of the time period until the retransmission of the packet by the transmission unit based on the time period information acquired by the acquisition unit. 
     
     
       14. The communication apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a measurement unit for measuring a time period from the transmission of the packet by the transmission unit until reception of a reply to the packet,
 wherein the determination unit performs the determination processing regarding the time period until the retransmission of the packet by the transmission unit based on the time period information acquired by the acquisition unit and the time period measured by the measurement unit. 
 
     
     
       15. The communication apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a display unit for displaying the time period information acquired by the acquisition unit on a display device. 
     
     
       16. The communication apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a notification unit for notifying the other communication apparatus that the time period information is acquired if the acquisition unit has acquired the time period information. 
     
     
       17. A method for controlling a communication apparatus, the method comprising:
 receiving a packet from another communication apparatus; 
 transmitting, after a predetermined time period has elapsed without another packet having been received from the other communication apparatus since the receiving receives the packet, a response to the packet received by the receiving to the other communication apparatus; 
 notifying the other communication apparatus of information of the predetermined time period; and 
 transmitting the reply to the other communication apparatus before the predetermined time period has elapsed if a predetermined number of packets are received. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for controlling a communication apparatus configured to communicate with another communication apparatus, the method comprising:
 transmitting a packet to the other communication apparatus; 
 acquiring time period information from reception of the transmitted packet by the other communication apparatus until transmission of a reply to the packet by the other communication apparatus; and 
 performing determination processing regarding a time period until retransmission of the packet based on the acquired time period information, 
 wherein the other communication apparatus transmits, after a time period indicated by the time period information has elapsed without another packet having been received from the communication apparatus since reception of the packet from the communication apparatus, a response to the packet received from the communication apparatus. 
 
     
     
       19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to operate as a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:
 a reception unit configured to receive a packet from another communication apparatus; 
 a transmission unit configured to transmit, after a predetermined time period has elapsed without another packet having been received from the other communication apparatus since the reception unit receives the packet, a response to the packet received by the reception unit to the other communication apparatus; and 
 a notification unit configured to notify the other communication apparatus of information of the predetermined time period, 
 wherein the transmission unit transmits the reply to the other communication apparatus before the predetermined time period has elapsed if a predetermined number of packets are received by the reception unit. 
 
     
     
       20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to operate as a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:
 a transmission unit configured to transmit a packet to the other communication apparatus; 
 an acquisition unit configured to acquire time period information from reception of the packet, by the other communication apparatus, transmitted from the transmission unit until transmission of a reply to the packet by the other communication apparatus; and 
 a determination unit configured to perform determination processing regarding a time period until retransmission of the packet by the transmission unit based on the time period information acquired by the acquisition unit, 
 wherein the other communication apparatus transmits, after a time period indicated by the time period information has elapsed without another packet having been received from the communication apparatus since reception of the packet from the communication apparatus, a response to the packet received from the communication apparatus.